WFTY-TV
Encyclopedia
WFTY-DT is one of two TeleFutura
network-Owned stations for the New York City
market, along with WFUT-DT. Owned by the Univision Broadcast Group
, the station is licenced to Smithtown, New York
and serves Long Island
.
. The station was begun on the premise of there being over three million people living on Long Island who got little local television news coverage; with all the network affiliates based in Manhattan
, it was rare to see more than one or two news stories a day about Long Island.
WSNL went on the air with a half-hour early evening newscast and a full hour at 10pm, in addition to coverage of high school sports, along with some off-network reruns and first-run syndicated programming. One of the more noteworthy series among this batch was the Phil Donahue Show, which had been in national syndication since 1972, but had gone unseen in the crucial New York market until that point, and after the station's demise, would not find another outlet until WNBC
picked it up in 1977. The station also carried the games of the short-lived New York Stars of the World Football League
in 1974.
Among WSNL's locally-produced offerings were:
The news department of 18 people used the very earliest form of portable videotape equipment, which only ran off AC or inverters in cars, and not off batteries. This greatly restricted local video coverage to the length of a power cord. In this era before satellites were used for TV distribution, the station employed a courier who used a motorcycle nightly to race from Manhattan with a tape of national and international news stories for the late news.
After a year of operation, inadequate revenue meant the cutback to five-minute news briefs several times a day and the department shrunk to just a few employees before the station went bankrupt and signed off for the last time on June 13, 1975.
. Less than two months later, on January 30, 1980, an electrical fire nearly destroyed the station's studios, forcing WSNL to again cease broadcasting, this time until July 1980.
In 1985, WSNL and WWHT discontinued the independent and subscription programming in favor of music videos. By the fall of 1986, the stations became WHSI and WHSE when they were sold to the Home Shopping Network
, whose programming ran on both stations for the next fifteen years.
In the late 1990s, HSN's broadcasting arm (Silver King Television
) planned to switch their stations to an independent format, with WHSE/WHSI slated to make the change in 2001. Late in 2000, however, USA Broadcasting
, who owned HSN by that time, decided to sell their stations to Univision
, meaning that WHSI would (instead of returning to an independent format) switch to AIN
/UATV
, networks generally used by low-powered stations, before becoming a charter affiliate of Univision's new TV network Telefutura
on January 14, 2002, re-called as WFTY. The call letters had been formerly used by Washington, DC CW
affiliate WDCW
, while they were an independent station; the calls had stood for that station's channel number, 50.
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
network-Owned stations for the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
market, along with WFUT-DT. Owned by the Univision Broadcast Group
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, the station is licenced to Smithtown, New York
Smithtown, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 115,715 people, 38,487 households, and 31,482 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,159.9 people per square mile . There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile...
and serves Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
History
WFTY first signed on November 18, 1973 as WSNL-TV, transmitting on channel 67 out of PatchoguePatchogue, New York
-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
. The station was begun on the premise of there being over three million people living on Long Island who got little local television news coverage; with all the network affiliates based in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, it was rare to see more than one or two news stories a day about Long Island.
WSNL went on the air with a half-hour early evening newscast and a full hour at 10pm, in addition to coverage of high school sports, along with some off-network reruns and first-run syndicated programming. One of the more noteworthy series among this batch was the Phil Donahue Show, which had been in national syndication since 1972, but had gone unseen in the crucial New York market until that point, and after the station's demise, would not find another outlet until WNBC
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
picked it up in 1977. The station also carried the games of the short-lived New York Stars of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
in 1974.
Among WSNL's locally-produced offerings were:
- Chef Nicola, a cooking showCooking showA TV cooking show is a television program that presents the preparation of food, in a kitchen on the studio set. The host of the show, often a celebrity chef, prepares one or more dishes over the course of the show, taking the viewing audience through the food's preparation showing all...
hosted by Nicola Zanghi; - Home Handyman, a home repairHome repairHome repair involves the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a home, and is related to home maintenance to avoid such problems. Many types of repairs are "do it yourself" projects, while others may be so complicated, time-consuming or risky as to suggest the assistance of a qualified handyman,...
show hosted by future congressman David G. McDonough; - Captain Ahab, a weekday kids' cartoon show hosted by George McCaskey (as the Captain);
- Ahab and Friends, a three-and-a-half hour weekend kids' show similar to WNEW-TV's WonderamaWonderamaWonderama was a long-running children's television program that appeared on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1986, with WNEW-TV in New York City being its originating station....
; also hosted by McCaskey, it featured cartoons, puppets, games, contests, and other assorted entertainment for its young audience; - Mary Kelly's Puppet Party, another kids' show;
- Long Island Tonight with Richard Hall, a variety showVariety showA variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
; - The Fairchilds of Long Island, a rare locally-produced soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
which featured local actors.
The news department of 18 people used the very earliest form of portable videotape equipment, which only ran off AC or inverters in cars, and not off batteries. This greatly restricted local video coverage to the length of a power cord. In this era before satellites were used for TV distribution, the station employed a courier who used a motorcycle nightly to race from Manhattan with a tape of national and international news stories for the late news.
After a year of operation, inadequate revenue meant the cutback to five-minute news briefs several times a day and the department shrunk to just a few employees before the station went bankrupt and signed off for the last time on June 13, 1975.
Return to air
WSNL signed on again four years later, on December 4, 1979, simulcasting Newark's WWHT (now WFUT) with a mixed independent/subscription television format, carrying Wometco Home TheaterWometco Home Theater
The Wometco Home Theater was an early pay television service in the New York City area, owned by Miami-based Wometco Enterprises, which owned several major network affiliates in medium markets and their flagship WTVJ in Miami...
. Less than two months later, on January 30, 1980, an electrical fire nearly destroyed the station's studios, forcing WSNL to again cease broadcasting, this time until July 1980.
In 1985, WSNL and WWHT discontinued the independent and subscription programming in favor of music videos. By the fall of 1986, the stations became WHSI and WHSE when they were sold to the Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
, whose programming ran on both stations for the next fifteen years.
In the late 1990s, HSN's broadcasting arm (Silver King Television
Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
) planned to switch their stations to an independent format, with WHSE/WHSI slated to make the change in 2001. Late in 2000, however, USA Broadcasting
USA Broadcasting
USA Broadcasting was an American media company owned by veteran entertainment industry executive Barry Diller. This network was the over-the-air broadcasting arm of USA Network....
, who owned HSN by that time, decided to sell their stations to Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, meaning that WHSI would (instead of returning to an independent format) switch to AIN
American Independent Network
The American Independent Network was one of the first major attempts at building a television network, consisting of low-powered television stations. Started by Don Shelton, Randy Moseley, and Lynn Synder, it was similar to the older Channel America , and was the foundation for Urban America TV...
/UATV
Urban America Television
Urban America Television was an over-the-air television broadcast network in the United States. According to the company's website, the network had 70 affiliate stations. UATV had a reach of 22 million households in the United States. It was a successor to the earlier American Independent...
, networks generally used by low-powered stations, before becoming a charter affiliate of Univision's new TV network Telefutura
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
on January 14, 2002, re-called as WFTY. The call letters had been formerly used by Washington, DC CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
affiliate WDCW
WDCW
WDCW, channel 50, is the CW-affiliated television station for Washington, D.C. It transmits from the Hughes Memorial Tower located in the Brightwood section of the city. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station has studios on Wisconsin Avenue Northwest in the Glover Park section of Washington...
, while they were an independent station; the calls had stood for that station's channel number, 50.